Nelle: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,325

among girls · ↑780 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Nelle · +27% vs 2024

How common

1 in 48,705

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1917

169 babies

All-time total

5,794

#2,330 all-time among girls

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Nelle popularity over time

5,794 babies have been named Nelle since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	895	90	–	#175
1890s	1,125	113	+26%	#198
1900s	735	74	-35%	#348
1910s	1,201	120	+63%	#465
1920s	868	87	-28%	#639
1930s	282	28	-68%	#1,113
1940s	140	14	-50%	#2,020
1950s	91	9	-35%	#3,226
1960s	47	5	-48%	#4,688
1970s	17	2	-64%	#7,932
1980s	22	2	+29%	#9,254
1990s	–	–	–	–
2000s	35	4	–	#13,080
2010s	151	15	+331%	#4,416
2020s (to 2025)	185	31	+104%	#3,892

Where Nelle is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	33	0.02	outside top 500
2027	33	0.02	outside top 500
2028	33	0.02	outside top 500
2029	33	0.02	outside top 500
2030	33	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Nelle

Nelle is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,325 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 5,794 American babies have been named Nelle. Its peak came in 1917, when 169 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nelle stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nelle?

The median living Nelle is about 19 years old; half are between 5 and 77. An estimated 700 people named Nelle are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Nelle year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	33	#4,325
2024	26	#5,105
2023	34	#4,257
2022	26	#5,130
2021	29	#4,703
2020	37	#3,892
2019	32	#4,416
2018	28	#4,858
2017	15	#7,738
2016	17	#7,142
2015	18	#6,911
2014	10	#10,724
2013	7	#14,209
2012	12	#9,554
2011	5	#18,786
2010	7	#14,548
2009	7	#14,792
2008	7	#14,954
2007	–	–
2006	8	#13,278
2005	6	#15,883
2004	–	–
2003	–	–
2002	–	–
2001	7	#13,080
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	5	#11,902
1980	5	#11,588
1975	6	#8,698
1970	–	–
1965	5	#7,219
1960	7	#5,542
1955	11	#3,722
1950	8	#4,219
1945	17	#2,129
1940	13	#2,384
1935	22	#1,644
1930	45	#1,113
1925	84	#813
1920	128	#639
1915	139	#539
1910	65	#508
1905	85	#370
1900	91	#355
1895	112	#264
1890	143	#198
1885	109	#175
1880	65	#189

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Nelle, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Nelle?

The median living Nelle is about 19 years old. Half of all living Nelles are between 5 and 77 years old.

How many people named Nelle are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Nelle are alive in the United States, based on 5,794 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Nelle in 2025?

Nelle ranked #4,325 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nelle?

5,794 babies have been named Nelle in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nelle most popular?

Nelle peaked in 1917, when 169 newborns received the name.

Is Nelle a boy or girl name?

Nelle is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nelle rising or falling?

Nelle is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nelle become more popular?

Nelle looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 girls named Nelle in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nelle

Names that sound and feel close to Nelle: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Nelle with similar names → More names starting with N →